memeorandum: Red Mosque rebel cleric killed in crossfire (CNN)

1:00 PM ET, July 10, 2007

Top Items:

Senator's Number on 'Madam' Phone List — Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) apologized last night after his telephone number appeared in the phone records of the woman dubbed the "D.C. Madam," making him the first member of Congress to become ensnared in the high-profile case.

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

Sen. David Vitter, a leading Christian social conservative — Republican Senator David Vitter of Louisiana was not merely a supporter of last year's proposed constitutional amendment to "protect the sanctity of traditional marriages" by amending our Constitution to ban same-sex marriages …

Discussion: TPMmuckraker, Think Progress, MSNBC, The Rude Pundit, MoJoBlog, Democratic National Committee, TIME and No More Mister Nice Blog

Carrie Budoff / The Politico:

GOP senator admits link to escort service — Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) acknowledged Monday night that his number appears on telephone records of the alleged D.C. Madam, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, and issued an apology. — "This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, TIME, Pandagon, MSNBC, Blogs of War, Connecting.the.Dots and Mercury Rising

Yeas & Nays:
"DC Madam" Posts Phone Records Online

Discussion: Right Wing News and PoliPundit.com

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Prostitute Scandal Hits The Senate

Discussion: Riehl World View and JammieWearingFool

USA Today:

Poll: Bush approval drops to low of 29% — WASHINGTON — Opposition to the Iraq war has reached a record high, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, a development likely to complicate President Bush's efforts to hold together Republican support as the Senate begins debate this week on Pentagon priorities.

Discussion: Salon, The Moderate Voice, Gallup Poll, Middle Earth Journal, Liberal Values, Rising Hegemon, TIME: Swampland, Reason Magazine, ABCNEWS and Air America Radio

CNN:

White House touts 'retooled' Iraq mission — WASHINGTON (CNN) — As President Bush faces GOP pressure to change his war strategy, the White House announced Tuesday that an upcoming progress report will result in "the beginning of a new way" in Iraq. — Six months after announcing an increase …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Washington Post:

Bush Plans To Stress Next Phase In Iraq War — GOP Dissent Spurs Change In Message but Not Course — President Bush, facing a growing Republican revolt against his Iraq policy, has rejected calls to change course but will launch a campaign emphasizing his intent to draw down U.S. forces next year …

Discussion: CNN, Dick Polman's American Debate, Daily Kos, ABCNEWS, BAGnewsNotes, The Carpetbagger Report, MSNBC, The Mahablog, Jules Crittenden, A Chequer-Board of Nights …, Corrente, The Moderate Voice, Rising Hegemon, The Xsociate Files, Reason Magazine, The Atlantic Online and Needlenose

New York Times:
U.S. Envoy Offers Grim Prediction on Iraq Pullout

Discussion: Jules Crittenden, MSNBC, Outside The Beltway, Obsidian Wings, The American Street, Air America Radio, Prairie Weather, The Belgravia Dispatch, A Chequer-Board of Nights …, IraqSlogger.com, Washington Post, Inside Long Island Politics, Brian Beutler, Daily Kos and TBogg

Gallup Poll:
Bush Job Approval at 29%, Lowest of His Administration

Discussion: Pollster.com, MyDD and TIME

Chris Bowers / Open Left:
Bush Equals Nixon's Highest Disapproval

Discussion: Norwegianity and Democrats.com

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

Davis in charge as Nelson fired and Weaver and Salter quit — Rick Davis, who managed Sen. John McCain's 2000 presidential campaign but had a more limited role in this contest, will take the helm of the Arizonan's troubled candidacy, according to two McCain sources.

Liz Sidoti / Associated Press:

McCain shakes up staff — WASHINGTON - John McCain's campaign manager and chief strategist are gone from their leadership roles, according to several officials with knowledge of the staff changes. — One official said Terry Nelson resigned as campaign manager for the Republican presidential candidate …

Discussion: TIME and Pajamas Media

ABCNEWS: McCain Shakes Up Staff

Liz Sidoti / Associated Press:
McCain campaign suffers key shakeups

Discussion: Shakesville

The Atlantic Online:
More On McCain Campaign Decimation

Discussion: TIME: Swampland, Hot Air and Democratic National Committee

The Hill:

Pelosi lines up Iraq votes — House Democrats are planning a series of votes this month on Iraq that they hope will ratchet up pressure on the White House and congressional Republicans to change course on the unpopular war or suffer political consequences. — Sensing that additional GOP …

Discussion: Let Freedom Ring and Air America Radio

Brent Budowsky / The Hill:
George Bush's Iraq Obsession: America Held Hostage

Discussion: DownWithTyranny! and TPMCafe blogs

David Paul Kuhn / The Politico:
McGovern: Not sure anti-war Dem can win

Discussion: New York Times and The Influence Peddler

John Solomon / Washington Post:

Gonzales Was Told of FBI Violations — After Bureau Sent Reports, Attorney General Said He Knew of No Wrongdoing — As he sought to renew the USA Patriot Act two years ago, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales assured lawmakers that the FBI had not abused its potent new terrorism-fighting powers.

Discussion: TPMmuckraker, Think Progress, The Next Hurrah, New Pairodimes, On Deadline, Capitol Hill Blue, Wonkette, Obsidian Wings, The Carpetbagger Report, The American Mind, Mercury Rising, Democratic National Committee, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Prairie Weather, Daily Kos, The Raw Story and The Heretik

MichaelMoore.com:

'SiCKO' Truth Squad Sets CNN Straight — DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN: "(Moore says) the United States slipped to number 37 in the world's health care systems. It's true. ... Moore brings a group of patients, including 9/11 workers, to Cuba and marvels at their free treatment and quality of care.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Raw Story, News Bloggers Blog, KnoxViews, Left I on the News, Rising Hegemon, Daily Kos, Brian Beutler, Boing Boing, The Sideshow and Brendan Nyhan

CNN:
THE SITUATION ROOM — Pentagon Lowering the Bar for Measuring Success in Iraq.

Discussion: CBS News and BlondeSense

CNN:

Red Mosque rebel cleric killed in crossfire — ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) — Cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi, the leader at the center of the week-long Red Mosque siege in Islamabad, has been killed, Pakistan's Interior Ministry told CNN. — Ghazi's body was recovered shortly after he was killed …

Discussion: New York Times, A Blog For All, Gateway Pundit, The Fourth Rail, Associated Press and Michael P.F. van der Galiën

Isambard Wilkinson / Telegraph:
Chief siege cleric killed as rebel mosque falls

Discussion: Little Green Footballs and Theo Spark

Mixter / Mixter's Mix:

Blogger challenge - Let's really put the netroots to work! — You gotta admit, Cindy Sheehan has got a pair! — Cindy Sheehan has threated to run against Nancy Pelosi for Congress as a third party candidate in 2008 unless Pelosi introduces articles of impeachment against Bush by July 23rd.

Discussion: Sugar Land is Dreaming and Corrente

The Hill:

Ex- convicts and addicts may get DoD clearance — At the Pentagon's request, Senate defense authorizers tucked deep within a defense bill a repeal of the department's restriction on granting security clearances to ex-convicts, drug addicts and the mentally incompetent.

Discussion: Don Surber, Balloon Juice and Cliff Schecter

Richard Cohen / Washington Post:

They Honor Us With Their Hate — Tidying up the other day, I came across an old newspaper and, flipping through it, saw a picture that made my heart stop. It showed Palestinians, most of them young, all of them male, reacting with glee to a particularly heinous terrorist attack.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters